Manmohan Singh takes a new turn, says GDP figures are not fudged

New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said that it is unlikely that the GDP figures are fudged and backed the new national income calculation method introduced by the Narendra Modi government.

“I don’t think the GDP figures are fudged. However, the methodology has changed. If the monsoon rains are normal, we should be able to grow at the rate of 7 to 7.5 per cent this year. Now the country is on a growth of 7-7.5 per cent,” the Congress leader said in an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times.

The former prime minister’s remark came as an embarrassment for the Congress party whose other leaders are arguing that the data is not credible. According to figures, India grew at the rate of 7.6 percent in 2015-16.

However, the former prime minister took a dig at the NDA government and blamed its ‘mindset’ for the lack of consensus on important issues concerning country’s economy.

“The two years that this government has had, they could have been used much purposefully to push the reforms process further,” he said during the interview.

“For various reasons this has not happened. Whether it is the GST (goods and services tax), whether it is the land-acquisition bill, whatever the differences among political parties,” he added.

He also said that every effort should be made to bring about the consensus.(with agency inputs)